I keep hearing that a woman having a VBAC will be 'allowed' (grrr!!) a "trial" of labor? What exactly does that mean? Somehow a 'trial' sounds a lot shorter than just plain 'laboring'. And since OBs can be so damn impatient with 'laboring', my mind just boggles with what they mean by "trial".

To an obstetrician, *any* labor is something you try for and if you fail you get a cesarean. I think the only reason that VBAC labor is called a "trial of labor" and non-VBAC labor isn't, is that doctors consider attempts at VBAC so much more likely to fail. So the language they use reflects that.

Thanks for the responses. So do they impose any more restrictions/routine practices upon a VBAC then? I ask this after reading Fluffypeanuts thread about fetal monitoring practices for a VBAC. I'm just wondering what else they consider is 'routine' (for OBs anyhow).

Thanks for the responses. So do they impose any more restrictions/routine practices upon a VBAC then? I ask this after reading Fluffypeanuts thread about fetal monitoring practices for a VBAC. I'm just wondering what else they consider is 'routine' (for OBs anyhow).

It depends on the doctor and the hospital, but generally vbac patients are treated more like sick people, needing to be "saved" by their medical expertise. Usually that includes continuous fetal monitoring, IV, stricter time constraints, sometimes even epidural (just in case)... I'm drawing a blank, I must have blocked it out of my memory, all the things my doc said were routine for vbac patients...
The one thing that I find most appalling is if I had my vbac in the hospital, that doc would reach his hand up inside my uterus to check the scar after delivery!
And this after telling me he had never encountered any ruptures or other problems with the scar except with vertical, single-layer sutured incisions after induction.

The one thing that I find most appalling is if I had my vbac in the hospital, that doc would reach his hand up inside my uterus to check the scar after delivery!
And this after telling me he had never encountered any ruptures or other problems with the scar except with vertical, single-layer sutured incisions after induction.

Thanks for the responses. So do they impose any more restrictions/routine practices upon a VBAC then? I ask this after reading Fluffypeanuts thread about fetal monitoring practices for a VBAC. I'm just wondering what else they consider is 'routine' (for OBs anyhow).

It does really vary. My practice treats VBAC's as normal labors, at least that's what they told me. They actually discourage epidurals, b/c then you lose the pain signal if you do start to rupture. They certainly don't require continuous monitoring or anything. When I was talking to my midwife yesterday, she said that I might want to consider coming to the hospital somewhat earlier than if I hadn't had a c-section, but in no way is anyone telling me I have to do things differently b/c I'm a VBAC.

Of course, I realize that this is an unusual situation and I am lucky to have such great providers!

The one thing that I find most appalling is if I had my vbac in the hospital, that doc would reach his hand up inside my uterus to check the scar after delivery!

OMG! I did read about this in an old book but I thought it was just an old practice like shaving and enemas that no one does anymore. I also read it was a really ineffective practice. I guess they just keep this practice to scare more women out of having VBACs.

I remember hearing my OB say to the nurse that I was attempting a "trial of labor". I wanted to say "no, its the real thing" but decided I didn't want to get on the bad side of the person who might be doing my episiotomy

I guess they have to say that, since you don't know if a VBAC will be successful til its over, but I wish they didn't have to say it in front of me! It sounded like they didn't think I could do it. And my labor nurse was really shocked later when she checked me and I was ready to push! I couldn't believe it myself!

When I checked into the hospital with my first, I had been having contractions for about 18 hrs, close together and painful for about 6. When they checked me, I was only 2cm : So the Dr told the nurse that he would allow a "trial of labor" and see how fare we got.......I was 22 at the time, very small, and since I ended up getting a huge episiotomy that I did not need, I really feel that he was trying to keep everything in that area "good" for DH.....they truly did not expect me to be able to have this baby! But I did, and they really acted surprised.